







In English we use the present simple tense to talk about facts or things that are always true, as well as things in general. Present simple is also used to talk about a repeated action such as a habit, a hobby, a daily event, a scheduled event or something that often happens.
In English we use 'do' and 'does' as auxiliary verbs in negatives and questions and we often use the present simple with adverbs of frequency such as sometimes, always, often, never, usually, rarely, and hardly ever.
Notes for use of present simple :
In the third person, ‘s’ is added to the verb form. For example;
work --> works
run --> runs
live --> lives
For verbs that end in 'o', 'sh', 'ch', 's' and 'x', we add 'es' to the verb form. For example;
go --> goes
wish --> wishes
watch --> watches
kiss --> kisses
fax --> faxes
For verbs that end in a consonant + 'y', we change the 'y' to 'i' and add 'es'. For example;
try --> tries
study --> studies
The table below shows the different forms of present simple :
Example Verb : Work | I / You / We / They | He / She / It |
| Positive | ... work. | ... works. |
| Negative | ... don't work. | ... doesn't work. |
Questions | Do ... work? | Does ... work? |
| Short answers | Yes, ... do. / No, ... don't. | Yes, ... does. / No, ... doesn't. |
For the verb 'to be' we use 'am', 'is', 'are' in the present simple. No auxiliary verbs are used in negative sentences and questions.
Verb: Be | I | You / We / They | He / She / It |
| Positive | I'm ... | ... 're ... | ... 's ... |
| Negative | I'm not ... | ... aren't ... | ... isn't ... |
| Questions | Am I ... ? | Are ... ...? | Is ... ...? |
| Short answers | Yes, I am. / No, I'm not. | Yes, ... are. / No, ... aren't. | Yes, ... is. / No, ... isn't. |
Present Simple Example Sentences :
Positive Examples of Present Simple :
Negative Examples of Present Simple :
Question Examples of Present Simple :
| Present simple example sentences | |
|---|---|
| Yeah, he is keen on moving house... | |
| Here we go, I'm sure it means they pay much less. | |
| What's your plan, Cate? | |
| That's a good choice, they do great calamari here, too. | |
| That's okay, I don't mind. | |
| Pogo still hates coming to the vet, though! | |
| Yes it is, how are you? | |
| I'm really sorry, what kind of sickness is it? | |
| Unfortunately, I don't have one! Where is yours? | |
| It only takes 15 or 20 minutes. | |
| I see them around a lot where I work, actually. | |
| First of all, it's so sad to see them in pain. | |
| Let's calculate, I pay 135 per week for one person... | |
| And sometimes they don't come home for days. | |
| No, we drain pasta with a grater. | |
| Hang on a minute, they are both 300 gr and the same brand. | |
| Hello mate, where are you? | |
| That's not nice, Mike! | |
| Yeah, it's not common, but that's what it says in the recipe. | |
| Hello Beatrix, it's me, Cate. | |